The skies above the sect rippled.
Li Xuan stood in the center of the arena, body still scorched from battle, his chest rising and falling with exhaustion. Around him, the elders whispered, their eyes fixed on the giant colored circle glowing behind him—seven hues interwoven like a wheel of cosmic power.
And that was the problem.
Because they had seen this before.
The sect master's eyes widened. "That technique… it's the Nine Star Hegemon Body Art…"
Another elder's voice trembled. "No one should know that art. Long Chen took it with him to death."
"Or someone found his legacy," a third said with greed bleeding into his tone.
Then came silence.
And in that silence, Long Chen's voice echoed in Li Xuan's mind.
[ "Brat. Run." ]
Li Xuan blinked—then his instincts roared.
A hand flashed down from the void, too fast for thought, too heavy for resistance. The very air exploded as a sect master tried to grab him like a fly.
He barely twisted his body.
CRACK!
His ribs shattered. Blood exploded from his mouth. But he wasn't dead.
Shock filled the air.
"How did he survive that?!"
Li Xuan crashed to the ground, vision blurring, bones howling. His hand clutched his saber—but even that trembled.
[ "Emergency Protocol Activated: Long Chen Legacy Priority Mode." ]
[ Rewarding Skill: Shadow God Escape Art (Initial Mastery) – Usable Once ]
[ Activating System Map: Escape Point Located – Coordinates Marked ]
Li Xuan didn't hesitate.
A black symbol exploded under his feet, a thousand shadow chains wrapping around him as the skill activated. His body vanished in a pulse of divine light—faster than the eye could follow.
"GET HIM!" one of the elders howled, but they were too slow.
—
He fled across mountains, rivers, and ravines. Finally, after a day of nonstop movement, he reached a valley carved with the aura of war.
There stood a man in black armor, his blade plunged into the earth, meditating beneath a stone monument.
Li Xuan staggered closer. "You… who are you?"
The man opened one eye.
"I'm Gu Yang," he said calmly. "General of Long Chen's legion."
Shock jolted Li Xuan's heart.
Gu Yang's eyes narrowed. "Speak the name. The name only Long Chen's successor would know."
Li Xuan remembered Long Chen's last whisper and spoke.
"…Nine Stars Defy the Heavens."
A sharp breath left Gu Yang.
"So it's true," he murmured. "The will lives on."
He rose, took out a strange talisman, and pressed it into the earth. Space cracked.
"This realm travel portal is a one-time use. Get in."
"But—"
"Don't ask. Just go."
Li Xuan stared at the portal, then bowed low, not with submission but gratitude.
The world shattered around him.
—
When he opened his eyes, the air was so dense with Qi that he nearly suffocated.
His body convulsed. Energy flooded his meridians, overloaded his dantian, and burst through his skin.
He gasped.
[ "Welcome to the Middle Heaven Realm. Qi Density: x20. Danger Level: Extreme." ]
A rabbit-like beast darted past him. He sensed it.
"…That thing can kill me in five exchanges."
[ "That's right, brat. Welcome to the next hell." ]
His eyes narrowed.
[ "Time to rebuild." ]
—
A Week Later – Entrance Trial of the Golden Vein Sect
Dozens of cultivators stood in a courtyard filled with spirit patterns. Li Xuan wore a black robe, battered but clean.
"Name?"
"Li Xuan."
"Cultivation?"
"Qi Condensation."
Snickers. Even the proctor sneered.
"Bone Age?"
"Seventeen."
"Bloodline?"
"None."
"Affinity?"
"…High Fire."
The elder sighed. "Well, you're not hopeless. You'll be placed in the Outer Disciples."
The proctor leaned closer. "You'll die within the year. Good luck."
Li Xuan smiled.
"You too."
He walked into the sect, a place where even outer disciples could kill him if careless. But his gaze never wavered.
[ "I'll grow stronger. I'll survive. And I'll return one day to rip the roots out of those who betrayed me." ]
His fists clenched.
[ "Cut off everything that dares hold me down." ]
And so, the journey began anew.
System Log:
Realm: Middle Heaven Realm
Qi Density: x20
Danger Level: Life-Threatening
Cultivation: Mid Qi Condensation (Restarted)
LCP: 244
Skills: Shadow God Escape Art (on cooldown), Phantom Step, Face-Slapping Divine Art, Predator's Pressure
Mission Hub: Updated
Simulation Realm: Unlocked
Long Chen Status: Watching Silently